"[In qualification] we were looking like a big side but unfortunately this competition has show the reality of African football," he said, "so we're going to take care of our next steps and fight to have what we want and deserve."

"[After the Libya match] the rest of my season is about Newcastle - so we [he and Cisse] are going to do everything for them and forget about what has happened here," he said at the Senegal hotel here in Bata.

Ba has been linked with a move away from St James's Park but would not be drawn on his club future.

"The position is still the same - it hasn't changed," he said. "I'm just going back there to play the rest of the season. Hopefully as well as I played before."